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Israeli Elections Reflect Wish for Security, Not Bigotry

(Jewish News-UK) Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem Fleur Hassan-Nahoum - Panicked headlines have appeared in the British Jewish press about a perceived shift in Israel in the wake of the recent elections. As a liberal and a feminist, I understand some of the concerns. Yet, I feel that there has been little attempt to understand the context and reasons for the rise of the Religious Zionist and Otzma Yehudit parties. There is one key reason for the success of these two parties. In recent years, Israelis have felt increasingly under attack in their own country. During the Gaza War in 2021, pockets of Israeli Arabs in mixed cities such as Lod and Acre turned on their neighbors. In the south, Bedouin mafias have been taking protection money from businesses around the Negev as well as stealing cattle from local farms. In Arab towns of northern Israel, gun use is a major problem for the Arab population, who have become victims of gangland-style shootings. Most Israeli Arabs are law-abiding citizens, many of whom are successful professionals. Nevertheless, the pockets of criminal and extremist elements cannot simply be brushed aside because it is deemed politically incorrect to talk about them.
2022-11-21 00:00:00
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